AYER -- Ayer selectmen recessed briefly in the opening moments of Tuesday night's meeting in apparent spontaneous protest over comments uttered by Ayer Selectman Frank Maxant. Chairman Jim Fay led the charge, and was followed by three selectmen and two others.

The flap first arose two weeks earlier, when Maxant went on a tirade during a board meeting against Ayer American Legion Post 139. Maxant claimed at the Feb. 5 board meeting that the post displayed "social cowardice" in shunning Maxant's friend, former housemate, Marine veteran, and Level 3 sex offender Benjamin Franklin Pierce. Pierce now lives in Arkansas.

That prior evening, Maxant ripped up a certificate the Ayer American Legion gave Maxant and each of the other selectmen to say thanks for participating in the town's 2012 Ayer Memorial Day Parade. Post Commander Betty Ann Matozel had reserved comment over the Feb . 5 flap until Tuesday night.

Fay, who is also a member of Ayer American Legion Post 139, afforded post Commander Betty Ann Matozel the opening spot on the evening's agenda to rebut Maxant's allegations.

Matozel strode to the table to speak. Seated throughout the audience in a show of support for Matozel were a dozen uniformed American Legion members from both the Ayer and Shirley Posts, including Shirley American Legion Post 183 Commander Charles Church.

Reading from a prepared statement, Matozel said she would only read the statement and would not entertain any questions. Matozel was brief and succinct in laying out four declarations.

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First, Matozel said Pierce never submitted an application to become a member of the Ayer American Legion. Second, Matozel said Pierce never submitted a DD Form 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty "for consideration to join" the post.

Third, Matozel stated, "At no time did the individual, Benjamin Franklin Pierce, attend as a guest at a meeting of American Legion Post 139." Finally, and in contradiction to claims Pierce made last week, Matozel said, "At no time did I ever meet with, correspond with, or speak with Benjamin Franklin Pierce at any time about any subject." Pierce asserted that Matozel and another post officer had shunned his expression of interest in joining the post.

Matozel thanked selectmen for the opportunity to speak and returned to her seat in the audience. Fay commented that any selectman speaking on a subject during a meeting "owes it to the community to have their facts straight" before talking about any group or organization "of this stature."

Fay also advised against selectmen using board meetings as a forum to "make commentary."

Fay said he'd allow more public input on the affair "as long as I'm chairman" and "as I receive more and more emails" from the public on Maxant's statement.

"I think it is inherently wrong and most inappropriate for a selectman to pursue his personal ideals in the forum of the Board of Selectmen," said Fay. "It's one thing to go out and shake a stick on the sidewalk and say, 'I believe in this, that and the other thing."

"It's another to foster what, apparently by some newspaper accounts, was the position of the board of selectmen," said Fay. "I emphatically can tell you, as your chair, that is not the position of the Board of Selectmen."

"I want to thank you for the certificate," said Selectman Gary Luca. "I appreciate it and we enjoy marching."

"In all your years in uniform, you fought for Mr. Maxant's (right to make a) statement because that's freedom of speech and that's what we're here for," said Luca. "That's what you went to war for."

But Luca said board meetings aren't "the time or place" for such commentary. "Make a statement on your own, away from this venue if you want to, that's fine," Luca told Maxant. "But to bring this board into it...again, this board does not support the actions of one selectman. And it probably never will -- I don't want to speak for the rest."

"It was pretty appalling what happened," said Luca. "And I apologize for the rest of the board to you."

"I raised my hand," said Hugh Ernisse, Maxant's landlord. The controversial landlord has previously stirred debate by stating he welcomed sex offenders and drug addicts to live in his homes.

Ernisse sat in the front row and kept his hand raised over his head. Fay never called on Ernisse to be heard.

"I must respond," said Maxant. "The American Legion stands for a lot of very good things that makes the country the way it is -- some of the best things. And this town exemplifies those things most of the time."

Maxant said many live by the golden rules of "do unto others as you would have others do unto you" and "love your neighbor as you love yourself."

"But there was a period of time -- and I'm speaking now as a public official commenting on our town's society -- and I think this is an appropriate forum for that..." said Maxant. "There was a time when Mr. Pierce was in town when we got caught up in an atmosphere of viciousness, of character assassination, of slander, of piling-on, and kicking someone when he was down. That is not what the American Legion is all about..."

Fay called for a "recess" and stood to lead his peers to leave the room. "I'm not going to sit and listen to that, Frank," said Fay.

Applause broke out as Fay, Luca, selectmen Pauline Conley and Christopher Hillman got up from their seats and left the meeting room. Ayer Town Administrator Robert Pontbriand and board secretary Janet Lewis likewise left the room.

Seated at the table alone, Maxant shrugged and said, "That's the end of my notes."

About two minutes later, Fay re-entered the room and asked the board to reconvene. The board pushed forward with its otherwise full agenda.

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